Haywards Heath 'Winter Festival' – Saturday 28th November

We have 17 Singers so far supporting this event (as at 16th Nov) but it would be great if some more of you could come.

Festive hats etc optional, song set list as used at the WADOAMuseum 'Christmas Market' last Sunday.

Our initial set is in the Orchards Shopping Precinct commencing at 11.15am with cover and general amplification, so gather at 11.00am there. Please car share if possible.

Our base for the day is St Wilfred's Hall (see map below) where parking is available, as well as the other car parks in the town which are free for the day. There will be free beverages, warmth and clean toilets there. The best way to get there is from Church Road, turn into St Wilfred's Way.

After refreshment we will sing a song or two at three other locations in the town which can be under cover if the weather is inclement.

There is a large torchlight procession as it gets dark, dragging the Yule Log to the park for burning, with fireworks to follow.

Contact mobile on the day is 07542 167828.

For further information about this event see www.hhcommunitycic.org.

John C

Some Christmas Singing Events

Don’t forget the M.S. Centre’s Christmas Fundraiser at Sainsbury’s in Hove on Saturday 12th December (arrive 10.15 for an 11.00am start). For more details and to confirm your availability to join in the singing please contact Sidney, via the SDFS email address, a.s.a.p.

Also – see our Proposed Events Page for details of an invitation to sing at “Christ Church” in Worthing (known to many as the location of the ‘Worthing Community Play’ last year) in the evening on 17th December.

Brighton Pub Carols: Singing Dates

Following the rehearsals now underway, the actual pub dates (same venues as last year) are:

Tues 15th Dec at The Hartington, Whippingham Road (8pm)
Sat 19th Dec at The Sir Charles Napier, Southover Street (7.30pm - but get there VERY early...)
Tues 22nd Dec at The Park Crescent, Park Crescent (8pm)

For more details, including of the rehearsals, see here.

Adrian F

Singing at "The Mockingbird Cafe" on Saturday 5th December 2015

Please see the invitation to sing at "The Mockingbird Cafe" on the Proposed Events page. Don't forget to email Amaryllis if you want to join in.

N.T.’s Slindon ‘Apple Day’, 10th October 2015

A great day and we were very lucky with the weather, thank you to all the singers for your support. Katie sends her thanks below. Note we are invited to attend the Wassail on 16th January and next year’s event.

“Please thank the South Downs Folk Singers for coming too, we really appreciated them coming along to sing. Folk music, singing and dancing have always been at the heart of English traditional festivals, fetes and get-togethers, and so it felt very right that you were there singing traditional songs. So many people commented on how much atmosphere the music, singing and Morris dancing gave the event. I do hope you would like to come again next year.

Our Wassail is on the evening of 16th January if you would like to come along to enjoy the event or to sing, which would be brilliant!”

John C

Thank you again to John for following up The Slindon Apple Fair event. The venue was rural and the weather autumnal but calm. One of the first to arrive was Steven who tried his face at apple bobbing and then had to dry his jacket out by draping it over the hawthorn hedge in true traveller style. Most of us only caught the aroma of pressed apples and pizza! And just admired the wonderfully colourful display of apples and pears – not a ladder in sight.

We gathered in front of the music marquee and had our biggest audience yet because there were straw bales and deck chairs for the visitors to sit on. Again Bright Phoebe winked at us on cue. Thank you to Emily for keeping us on track with smiles and passion and thank you to Dave for doing the links.

After our first set of songs we could either listen to Phil and Jane (Bang on the Ear) or watch Fishbourne Morris and, after our second set, Said the Maiden entertained the crowds (Lady Maisery style) with traditional songs like Spencer the Rover from the Copper Song Book and some of their own compositions. Said the Maiden can be found on YouTube and Facebook.

Slindon is a lovely village to walk around. The clever display and annual sale of pumpkins was on and the parish church open, as well as the Jubilee Orchard and the Forge Café.

Margo

The first photos are from Amaryllis and show Steven apple bobbing.

Head in...

Got one!

Was it worth it?

Yes!

Here are some photos from Angela B:

And photos from Peter B:

Weald & Downland Christmas Market – Sunday 15th November

Once again it's that time of year, gird up your loins and give those punters at the Market a seasonal blast they’ll never forget! Rambling Sid Rumpo ( Kenneth Williams)

The 120 exhibitor stalls for this year were completely booked up before Christmas last year with similar large numbers of visitors over both days. Our CDs have been, and are, selling steadily throughout the year in the museum shop, and on the day we can sell them at our performances.

As at last year's Christmas Market we have been invited to sing traditional songs and carols around the Gridshell @ 1.00 to 1.30pm (gather outside by 12.45pm), and at the Music Tent in the Market Square (by the hot chestnuts!) @ 3.15 to 4.00pm. The site is open from 10.00am and there will be long traffic queues to get in, so get there early if you don’t want to be stuck in a traffic jam.

Fast track the entry queues by showing your wristbands at the Friends kiosk on entering from the overflow car park (you don’t have to wear them on your wrist).

The song list is below for both sets, and wear something seasonal in whatever form you fancy on the day!

John C )

The Holly and the Ivy

Deck the Hall

The Falmer Carol (See Seraphic Throngs)

Sussex Carol (Horsham)

Christmas is now Drawing Near at Hand

The Sussex Mummers Carol (Righteous Joseph)

The Holly Bears a Berry (Sans Day Carol)

Sweet Chiming Bells

Wassail, Wassail

We Wish You a Merry Christmas